THE POWER OF INTIMACY WITH GOD

The greatest commandment of all is that we should love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our soul (Matthew 22:37). Every other commandment derives from this. God wants to commune and have fellowship with us. We were created to know Him, to love Him, to have fellowship with Him, to be with Him, to rejoice in Him and to find our fulfilment in Him. Knowing God is not just about having knowledge about Him, it is intimacy, fellowship and being part of Him.

WHEN WE KNOW GOD, WE TURN AWAY FROM CROOKED WAYS
Those who know God are men and women of transformed character and transparency. They are men of complete sincerity. When we approach God, the first thing we meet is His holiness. His ways are not crooked; He is the ‘…Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning’ (James 1:17). Isaiah beheld Him and the first thing he said was, ‘Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts’ (Isaiah 6:5). As you approach God’s presence, He empowers you to turn from crooked ways because He is a bright light that illuminates every darkness.

INTIMACY WITH GOD GIVES US STRONG CONFIDENCE
What we need to overcome our fears is to be intimate with Jesus. Intimacy makes us fearless, strong and bold. God wants us to have faith and confidence in Him, even in the face of storms. Let God be your confidence. Proverbs 3:25-26 (NIV) says, ‘Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.’
The Psalmist assuredly said, ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? (NKJV). Ephesians 3:12 says, ‘In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence’ (NIV). Intimacy with God always gives us confidence that God is with us.

INTIMACY MAKES GOD OUR CONTINUOUS RESORT
Anytime I have issues, I talk to God. When you are close to God, you see Him as the only one to resort to in times of trouble. The Psalmist poured his heart to God always. He reminded Him of His faithfulness in times past and thereby asked for more. We will become very strong when we resort to the Lord always. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ Psalm 90:1 says, ‘Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.’ God want us to make him our dwelling place. He wants to surround us always.

Intimacy with God will birth great revelations in our lives. We must keep seeking God and keep the fire of our love for Him aflame. We will have the concluding part of this series next week. I wish you a blessed week in His presence.